Automatic disinfecting or odorizing apparatus.



PATIEN'TBD MAY 14, 1907. H, s. BLACKMORE. v AUTOMATIC DISINPEGTING 0R onomzme APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 24, 19 05.

manna-sum 1,

THE mmms PETERS ca WASHINGTON, n. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY SPENCER BLACKMORE, OF MOUNT VERNON, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO AMERICAN AUTOMATIC DISINFECTANT COMPANY, OF WASHINGTON,

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.

AUTOMATIC DISINFECTING on ooomzme APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 14, 1907.

A plication filed Jamm 24.1905. Serial No. 242,566.

To all whom it may concern:

Beitknown that I, HENRY SPENCER BLACK- MORE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Mount Vernon, in the county of Westchester and State of New York, have in vented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Disinfecting or Odorizing Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

Thisinvention relates to disinfecting apparatus, and particularly to apparatusfor disinfecting or odorizing rooms or apartments, by means of which, volatile disinfectants or substances producing fragrant 'ddors, such as essential oils or other compounds, may be made to pervade rooms or apartments in an automatic manner by the action of the water employed for flushing purposes in closets or urinals without the employment of expensive or complicated apparatus which constantly needs repair and attention.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide an apparatus of this general character which may be simple and cheap in construction and at the same time positive and effective in operation, and which can be readily placed, anchored or suspended with in an overhead or other flushing tank connected with closets or urinals in such a manner that air is automatically drawn through a volatile disinfecting fluid, such as a solution of formic aldehyde in essential oils, saturated therewith'and discharged therefrom into the atmosphere or flushing pipe simultaneously with the filling and discharging of the said tank with flushing water, where by the filling and discharging of the flushing tank with water acts within the inverted bell of a hydrostatic bellows suspended in the liquid of the tank with such freedom as not to retard the flushing action of the water through the discharge pipe into the closet or urinal.

A further object is to provide means whereby rooms or apartments may be disinfected, perfumed, or deodorized by the action of a hydrostatic bellows in combination with a tfluo pneumatic ejector, as described in United States Letters Patent No. 699,572, dated March 12, 1.901.

With this and other objects in view, I have constructed an apparatus which consists of an inverted bell in combination with a reservoir or device capable of holding a disinfecting or perfuming agent, such as a solution of formic -aldehyde in essential oil, provided with an outlet pipe or duct leading from its upper portion and communicating with the interior of the upper part ofthe said bell and an air-inlet pipe or duct terminating below the inner end of the outlet pipe, the outlet pipe being provided with an inward check valve. The said inverted bell being also provided at its upper portion with a discharge pipe or duct suitably provided with an in ward checking or trapping means, the whole being so disposed that upon the filling or discharging of the inverted bell,'the air contained in the said bell will be discharged through the discharge pipe while the air entering the said bell upon the discharge of the liquid therein, will be caused to pass through the volatile disinfecting or odorizing ingredients contained in the receptacle of the saturating device communicating therewith, while the said inverted bell is provided with a means whereby water or other liquid may be caused to flow in and from the same whereby it will act as a hydrostatic bellows actuating the saturation of air with disinfecting or odorizing ingredients and discharging the same into the atmosphere in an automatic manner, as hereinafter fully described in the specification and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a transverse vertical section of my apparatus adapted to disinfect and odorize the atmosphere of rooms or apartments and provided with an aerial saturator locatedexteriorly of the tank and attached thereto. Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the apparatus adapted to discharge aerated d1sinfectant into the flushing pipe and attachments thereof. Fig. 3 is a view of a device for attachin the saturating receptacle to the flushing tan r. Fig. 4 is a view of the saturator or aerial disinfector with the suspending device, as shown in Fig. 3, detached. Fig. 5 is a transverse vertical section of my apparatus, showing the saturator and hydrostatic bellows inclosed within a flushing tank and adapted for disinfecting or odorizing the atmosphere of rooms or apartments, the said adaptation being a modification of Fig. 1. Fig. 6 is a transverse vertical section showing the apparatus similarly inclosed within a flushing tank and adapted to disinfect the flushing pipe and connections thereof, being a modification of the appara tus as illustrated in Fig. 2. Fig. 7 is a view -of the discharge pipe communicating with the upper part of the hydrostatic bellows 1 for the purpose of disinfecting or odorizing rooms or apartments, as shown in Figs. 1 and 5, provided with an inward checking means whereby aerated disinfectant or odorizing substances may be discharged and the admission of air to the apparatus prevented. Fig. 8 shows a section of the saturating device having the tube or duct therethrough which communicates with the hydrostatic bellows provided with an inward checking means whereby aerated disinfectant may be drawn into the hydrostatic bellows from the saturator, but the discharge of aerated disinfectant from the hydrostatic bellows into the saturator, prevented.

The letter A designates the flushing tank B the sup ly pipe having an inlet valve controlled by a float C, as in other flushing apparatus.

The discharge pipe, lettered D, is provided with a discharge valve e having a rodf, the upper end of which is connected in any desired manner with a pivotally-supported lever g, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, or with one arm of a pivoted bell-crank h, as shown at Figs. 5 and 6, the lever being operated by a chain it, and the bell-crank by a push-rod h, as in other apparatus for a like purpose. Connected with the upper end of the discharge pipe, is an ainsupply pipe t, which also serves as an overflow pipe in event of the float-valve becoming inoperative, or the the flushing tank water within the flushing tank, from other cause, rising above a predetermined level.

Secured to the inside of the flushing tank by screw-bolts or other suitable means, is an inverted bell K, the said bell being arranged at one side of the air-supply pipe i, as in Figs. 1 and 5, in cases where rooms or apartments are to be disinfected or odorized; and over the said pipe '5, as in Figs. 2 and 6, where the plumbing is to be disinfected.

The reservoir, or device for holding the disinfecting material or perfuming agent, is marked L; a pi e Z connects the .upper part thereof with t e upper part of the bell. This reservoir L may be supported, within A, on an oif-set Z formed at one side of the inverted bell, as in Figs. 5 and 6, or it may be fitted within a suitable frame m and thereby connected with the outside of the aforesaid tank A, as shown in Figs. and 2. That part of the pipe Zwhich connects with the reservoir L is provided with an inwardly-acting check-valve n, and the cover or top of the reservoir is provided with an air-inlet pipe n terminatlng near the bottom of the said reservoir.

.tion so that the slightest In cases where rooms or apartments are to be disinfected or odorized, the upper part of the inverted bell is provided with an outlet-pipe 0 having a check-valve ac fitted thereln, and also with a means for regulating and controlling the outflow of air containing the disinfectant or odor'izing substances from the inverted bell into the atmosphere, such as a valve as indicated in Figs. 1, 5, and 7.

I am aware that hermetically sealed ilushing tanks have been employed for the purpose of drawing air through disinfecting sub stances and discharging the same by the action of the fill and discharge of water or liquid in the said hermetically sealed tank, but it is readily seen that in such a device the filling and discharging of the tank is interrupted and retarded by the checking or choking of the air entering the hermetically sealed tank while the flushing water is being discharged therefrom by reason of its having to pass through small ducts through and from the disinfectant saturating apparatus in such a manner that the effective operation of the flushing device is interfered with and pre vented.

It will be noted that in my ap aratus the inverted bell is suspended in t e flushing tank in such a manner that the rise and fall of liquid in the bell will act as a hydrostatic ellows in actuating the saturation of air with disinfectant or odorizing substance and discharge the same into the atmosphere of rooms or apartments, or into the flushing connections of the closet or urinal, without interrupting or retarding the flushing action of the water from the tank, which fall or flush of water is necessarily required for the purpose of cleaning and discharging the closets or urinals to which attached with as rapid and forceful flush as possible without obstruction.

In cases where hermetically sealed tanks are employed for the purpose of aerial disinfection or odorization, it is'obvious that the air will be drawn through the apparatus with such rapidity, in order to supply the space occupied by the water in its discharge therefrom, that it will not have an opportunity to become saturated or sufliciently charged with disinfectant or odorizing ingredients contained in the saturator, so that a less effective aerated solution of' disinfectant or odorizing substance is obtained, than is the case with my apparatus which operates more regularly and slowly, the suction or pressure within the inverted bell being actuated only by the difference in the level of the water or liquid in the flushing tank. It can also be seen that the inverted bell is open at the bottom i such a manner as to ailcw the liquid to freely enter and discharge into and from the flushing or other tank without interru variation in t e comprising a liquid sealed chamber, means for impregnating air with disinfectant or odorizing ingredients, means communicating with the interior of the chamber above the water seal and the means for impregnating 70 the air as aforesaid provided with an outward checking device for preventing the re turn of disinfected air to the disinfecting reservoir, and means for filling the chamber and discharging the disinfectant or odorized air 75 therefrom provided with a device for regulating and controlling the same, a reservoir communicating with said liquid sealed chamber and means actuated automatically by changing liquid equilibrium in the reservoir 80 communicating with the said chamber for filling the chamber and discharging the disinfectant or odorized air into rooms or apartments.

5. An automatic disinfector or odorizer 8 5 comprising a liquid sealed chamber, means for impregnating air with disinfectant or odorizing ingredients, means communicating with the interior of the chamber above the water seal and the means for impregnating the air as aforesaid provided with an outward checking device for preventing the return of disinfected air to the disinfecting reservoir, and means for filling the chamber and discharging the disinfectant or odorized air 95 therefrom provided with an inward checking device, a reservoir communicating with said liquid sealed chamber and means actuated automatically by changing liquid equilibrium in the reservoir communicating with I the said chamber for filling the chamber and discharging disinfectant or odorized air into rooms or apartments.

6. An automatic disinfector or odorizer comprising a liquid sealed air chamber, means for impregnating air with disinfectant or odorizing ingredients by drawing said air over or through the same, means communicating with the interior of the chamber above the water seal and the means for impregnat- HO ing the air as aforesaid provided with an outward checking device for preventing the re turn of disinfected air to the disinfecting reservoir, and means for filling the chamber and discharging the disinfectant or odorized air therefrom provided with an inward checking device, a reservoir communicating with said liquid sealed chamber and means actuated automatically by changing liquid equilibrium in the reservoir communicating with the said I chamber for filling the chamber and discharging disinfectant or odorized air into rooms or apartments."

7. An automatic disinfector or odorizer comprising a reservoir for containing disin- 25 fecting or odorizing substances, an air-inlet tube or. duct communicating with the reservoir below the surface of the disinfectant or odorizing substance therein, a discharge tube or duct communicating with the reservoir 0 level of the liquid in which the inverted bell is suspended will cause a corresponding and gradual variation of the liqu1d within the inverted bell, resulting in its action as a hydro- 5 static bellows for the purpose of saturating ainwith disinfectant or odorizing substance and discharging the same into the atmosphere or flushing pipe connections automatically with such variation in the level of the IO liquid in the aforementioned flushing tank or liquid receptacle. Another important and novel feature and advantage attained by the employment of the hydrostatic bellows operating in the inverted bell, is that the flow of air saturated with disinfectant or odorizing substance into the rooms or apartments may be regulated without interfering with the operation of the flushing tank.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. An automatic disinfector or odorizer, comprising a liquid sealed chamber, a reservoir communicating with said liquid sealed chamber, means for impregnating air wit disinfectant or odorizing ingredients, means communicating with interior of the chamber and the means for impregnating the air as aforesaid, means actuated by the movement of a liquid into and from said chamber by varying the level of the liquid in the communicating reservoir for introducing and discharging the aerated disinfectant or odorizing agent into and from said chamber, and

means for varying the level of the liquid in the said communicating reservoir.

2. An automatic disinfector or odorizer comprising a liquid sealed chamber, means for impregnating air with disinfectant or 0 odorizing ingredients, means communicating with the interior of the chamber above the water seal and the means for impregnating the air as aforesaid, a reservoir communicating with said liquid sealed chamber and means actuated automatically by changing liquid equilibrium in the reservoir communicating with the said chamber for filling the chamber with disinfected or odorized air and discharging the same therefrom into rooms orapartments.

3. An automatic disinfector or odorizer comprising a liquid sealed chamber, means for impregnating air with disinfectant or odorizing ingredients, means communicating with the interior of the chamber above the water seal and the means for impregnating the air as aforesaid, a reservoir communicating with said liquid sealed chamber, means actuated automatically by changing liquid ()0 equilibrium in the reservoir communicating with the said chamber for filling the chamber and discharging the disinfectant or odorized air into rooms or apartments, and means for regulating and controlling the same.

4. An automatic disinfector or odorizer above the disinfectant 0r odorizing substance sists in filling a water sealed chamber with aerated disinfectant or odorizing substance and discharging the same therefrom by the action of automatically changing liquid equiibrium in a liquid-containing reservoir communicating therewith.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature 20 in presence of two witnesses.

HENRY SPENCER BLACKMORE.

l Vitnesses:

- O. C. WVRIGHT,

H. N. JENKINS. 

